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I installed my own tank and leach field 19 years ago when I built the house,, it is a 1200 gallon concrete and I THOUGHT it was dual chambered.. A month ago had to have it pumped for the first time do to moisture around the lid.. During pump out found that it was a single and most of the content was water and very little sludge.. The problem was root growth in the leach line,, and is easy to prevent..>>>Dan
 
Don't assume that all septic tanks are dual chambered,, many or most, if at or under 1000 gallons are single chambered and you have to be more cautious.. The more important thing is to "educate" the new depositor to the facts of septic life.. Not putting certain things in the system is important.>>>Dan
Do you have a washing machine? A top loader can use 30-50 gallons a load. Do a couple of loads in a row and you've added about as much liquid as dumping the RV tanks into the system. When we had a septic system, I'd wait until the day after we finished washing the laundry from the trip to dump the tanks.
 
When snaking a black tank a good technique is to use about a six to ten foor sewer hose, hold the open end up above the top of the tank and snake through that after opening the valve.
When loosened up connect a longer section of drain hose to the open end and the drain before lowering the junction between them and allowing the tank to drain. If necessary rinse the black tank using a hose through the toilet.

Ernie
 
Don't assume that all septic tanks are dual chambered,
Most areas have codes that require the 2 chamber tanks today. Some now have 3 chambers. In our co-op community we were beginning to need to get some tanks pumped too often so at the suggestion of to people who put in the systems we had a third tank added to the problem systems and it resolved the problems. A larger set of tanks would have worked but the cost was more.

Septic System Guide: How It Works and How to Maintain It

 
When we built our house on the Olympic Peninsula in the early 2000s we had to install a 3 chamber septic system. A regular 2 chamber tank followed by an ultraviolet light and a third storage chamber from which the effluent would be pumped into the leach field. Although it was installed underground the fluorescent UV light raised havoc with radio and TV reception on the property. A control board turned on the pump every couple of hours so the leach field could "rest" between doses. It also kept a running total of how much effluent was being pumped. We had to enter into a contract with an environmental engineering company where they would inspect and certify the system annually. All this for a 2 bedroom house.
 
Do you have a washing machine? A top loader can use 30-50 gallons a load. Do a couple of loads in a row and you've added about as much liquid as dumping the RV tanks into the system. When we had a septic system, I'd wait until the day after we finished washing the laundry from the trip to dump the tanks.
I know of no residential washing machine that used that much water. Washers these days use about 16gal per load and that means perhaps 8 gal twice through a small hose.
 
I think dumping every couple of days is too often. With the two of us, I dump once a week. Each Monday. Need lots of water in the black tank to flush well.
We also have grandchildren spending time with us so they add greatly to the black tank volume. :) I do flush the system every time I empty the tank, with hot water from the shower head. Hopefully that helps mitigate the 'pile' issue.
 

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